The Benefits of Running Barefoot The year was 1960 in Rome, Italy, and Abebe Bikila, a complete stranger, had just crossed the finish line of the Olympic marathon. That day he became the first black African to win a gold medal at the Olympics, breaking the marathon record by a full eight minutes! What was most surprising about this man? He ran the entire race barefoot, on slippery roads and cobblestones in the scorching heat. After the race, he was peppered with questions. What was his background? What was his training plan? And, of course, why did he run barefoot? The answers to these questions were completely unexpected. He was the son of an Ethiopian farmer. As a boy he helped herd the sheep by going into the fields every day and running with the sheep, barefoot, of course. In fact, his participation in the Olympics was also a stroke of luck. Just before the plane took off, he was told he was coming as a last-minute replacement. When he arrived in Rome, he tried on all the shoes available, but none of them fit him. So he decided to run as he had trained, barefoot, which allowed him to win gold at the Olympics (Wallace 1-2). Although it has long been a controversial issue, there are many benefits to running barefoot. Only recently has a major debate arisen in the health community over whether or not running barefoot is better than exercising in running shoes. It wasn't until the mid-1970s that many people started wearing running shoes. Before, people ran barefoot or in minimal shoes, such as sandals or flats (Nearman 5). “If you think running barefoot is a fad, then it's a two-million-year-old fad,” says Dr. Daniel Liberman, PhD (Nearman 5). Many people believe that the soles of the feet are too us...... middle of paper ......with nature, running barefoot makes daily running much more enjoyable. Works CitedMcDougall, Christopher. "Christopher McDougall: Were We Born to Run?" TED: Ideas worth spreading. TEDxPennQuarter, February 2011. Web. 06 December 2012.Saremi, Jodai. "Running BAREFOOT." American Fitness 30.2 (2012): 24-28. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Network. December 7, 2012.Johnston, Leslie. "Running barefoot." Today's Chiropractic Lifestyle 40.4 (2011): 24-26. Alt HealthWatch. Network. December 7, 2012. Nearman, Steve. “The Science of Barefoot Running.” AMAA Journal 24.2 (2011): 5-6. Premier of academic research. Network. December 7, 2012.Wallace, Sandra. "Running barefoot." Faces (07491387) 25.6 (2009): 22. MasterFILE Premier. Network. December 7, 2012. Sangani, K. “The Cost of Operating [the Footwear Industry].” Engineering and Technology (17509637) 7.3 (2012): 64-67. Premier of academic research. Network. December 15. 2012.